Martin Kavka, a spokesman for the railway firefighters, told the media this morning that the fire was no longer actively being extinguished. "Currently there are temperatures in places around 300 degrees Celsius," Kavka said. The pumping of the remaining flammable substance from the tankers did not take place on Friday. "It was decided that the work would be carried out during daylight hours," Kavka added.
The accident happened yesterday near the Czech town of Hustopeče nad Bečvou. Benzene, a highly flammable and toxic liquid, leaked from a damaged tanker when a freight train derailed. The leak caused a large fire that affected five wagons.
No one was injured in the fire. In addition to the track, the catenary (electrical wires) was also damaged. Train operations will probably be restored on the line in a few weeks.
